At Home in the World

Stencil Art Across the Globe: From the Pretty to the Political

Made famous by the street artist Banksy, stencils have long been used as a method of protest across the world. Today, street stencils are just as much art as they are political activism. Here's a look at some standouts.

Stencil Art Across the Globe: From the Pretty to the Political

Made famous by the street artist Banksy, stencils have long been used as a method of protest across the world. Today, street stencils are just as much art as they are political activism. Here's a look at some standouts.

Poland has a long history of political street stencils. The Kotwica (Polish for “Anchor”) was the symbol of the Polish Underground Army during World War II, and this patriotic symbol of defiance was stenciled covertly on walls all over Poland. In the 1980s, stenciled orange dwarves became a graffiti symbol of the Solidarity movement’s resistance against the Communist
regime. Today, the country has an ever-expanding street art scene in which stencils remain prolific, ranging from the simply pretty to the politically provocative.

One of Krakow’s most famous anonymous street artists is Kuba, whose stencils often provide commentary on everything from the church to pop culture.

In Berlin, Germany, gray walls and Communist repression also contributed greatly to the rise of street art. In this street art mecca of the world, graffiti is still illegal and many artists use stencils that take less time. One of the most prolific stencil artists is Alias, whose art includes stencils of faceless children in hoodies. His art, he has explained, explores how people in today's society are increasingly disconnected from the world around them.

Istanbul saw widespread protests against the Turkish government’s internet censorship in early 2014. We came across the stencil on the left as well as several more politically provocative stencils in the neighborhood of Karaköy.

In Oaxaca, Mexico, a city whose politically active citizens protested state corruption on a massive scale in 2006, covert guerrilla stencils are found on almost every street corner. Here today, gone tomorrow, they are painted over by authorities as quickly as they appear.

In La Paz, Bolivia, street art criticizing the government abounds—cheeky stencils of President Evo Morales wearing a clown nose or Mickey Mouse ears pop up all over the city. A controversial figure, Morales came to power on a socialist platform and championed indigenous rights; he then went on to build a highway through indigenous territory in a national park. While many of the stencils are a critique of his policies, a lot are also a commentary on the gap between the rich and the poor. Stencils along with the words “guerra” or "war" are found in in the wealthy neighborhood of Calacota, where boutiques and restaurants line wide streets.

In Tel Aviv, Israel, you’re bound to come across at least one of Dede’s stencils. The street artist, who goes by the name Dede Bandaid, began his graffiti career while he was in the Israeli army. His stencils are anti-establishment and anti-military, like the childlike figure of a soldier blowing soap bubbles.